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Mute Voice
Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans fronti’e8res) on Tuesday condemned at the murder of Tamil journalist Aiyathurai Nadesan in Batticaloa (220 km east of Colombo) and voiced concern that dissension within the Tamil separatist movement could lead to an escalation of violation against the news media. “We call on the authorities to keep us informed of […]
Money Makers
The government plans to streamline its revenue collecting units and give legislative powers to new taxes that were proposed in the previous budget, the Treasury Secretary said Tuesday.The previous government initiated a Sri Lanka Revenue Collection Authority, which combined the Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise Departments, in an attempt to reform and strengthen public finances.rn […]
Finding Hope
Mineral sands, ceramics and rubber are in the study list, with the BOI keen to find a handful of key sectors for investment promotion. rn rnA select list of foreign industrial giants will be targeted to invest in the identified areas, BOI Chief Lalith de Mel told LBO.rn rnDe Mel says unless there is a […]
Clear Voice
Sri Lanka stressed on the need for greater government ownership of aid utilization and for capacity building, at an international aid harmonization conference between Colombo and Tokyo, on Tuesday.Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Dr.P.B. Jayasundera, presented Sri Lankas country perspective on the ongoing harmonization work, said press release from the Japan-World Bank Distance Learning Partnership Project.rn […]
Comeback
A draft Companies Act, thrown out by the former Government will be brought back to replace the 1980s piece of legislation governing businesses in Sri Lanka.Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle told Lanka Business Online that plans to draw up a fresh draft was dropped by the Alliance Government.rn rnInstead the Government will move […]
Hello There
Competition just got louder in the local telecom industry with Indian telco giant VSNL stepping up its operations in Sri Lanka. VSNL on Monday formally launched its international data and voice services here for the corporate and retail markets.rn rnHowever, VSNL has been busy behind the scene capturing overseas voice business since last year, when […]
Clean Deal
Commercial Bank of Ceylon will scrap the commission charged on cheques drawn on its outstation branches starting June 1, 2004.This means that recipients of Commercial Banks outstation cheques will henceforth receive the full face value on these cheques.rn rnThis move supplements the existing practice where the commission on outstation cheques of other banks deposited with […]
Gold Probe
Several persons who joined the referral marketing plan of the GoldQuest numismatics company, have been reportedly quizzed by the Central Bank for possible violations of Exchange Control regulations by the illegal use of credit cards.rnrn Central Banks Exchange Control Director, H ArnG Hettiarachchi confirmed that the Department was investigating creditrncardholders who made paymentsrnfor third parties […]
Easy Game
Prasanna has just gotten himself registered with a lquote get rich quick scheme. He had to pay Rs. 3,000 to a company claiming to operate the world famous lquote Pentagono scheme.rnrn In return he has got three vouchers, which hernintends to sell to three of his friends.rn ldblquote My nephew sold me a voucher for […]
No Pity for Prima
Treasury officials and monopoly flour distributor Prima were in talks to obtain a promised government subsidy while regulatory pressure was put on the company to keep flour prices down.The flour subsidy is one among the many subsidies the government is keen to maintain to shield consumers from rising international market prices.rn rnBut critics say the […]